Rainwater tank plumbing and pumps in Traralgon

A licensed plumber connects a rainwater tank to your house or garden, fits the pump, sets up any switch between tank and town water, and makes sure the overflow goes somewhere legal. In Victoria that work falls under the water services part of the national plumbing standard, AS/NZS 3500.1:2025. The plumbers who receive enquiries from this site are independent local businesses; each quotes for itself and does the work under its own licence, as the about page explains.

What can a rainwater tank supply?

The first question a plumber asks is what the tank is meant to feed. The answer decides the pump, the pipework and whether you also need a mains connection.

Set-up	What it feeds	Usual equipment	Things to decide
Garden only	Taps and irrigation outside	A tap at the tank, or a small pump	Pump size for the hose or sprinkler you use
Toilets and laundry	Inside fixtures named in the plan	Pressure pump plus a switching device so the fixtures fall back to mains when the tank runs low	Where the pump sits, noise near bedrooms, power supply
Whole house, no town water	Every tap, shower and appliance	Pressure pump, filtration, often a second tank	Treatment for drinking, backup when the tank runs low
Tank feeding the hot water	The water heater and hot taps	Pump sized for hot and cold demand	The heated water standard and the heater maker’s instructions

If a tank also feeds the water heater, AS/NZS 3500.4:2025 comes into play as well, because that part covers heated water services using drinking water, rainwater or both. Tell the plumber about it early, and have the water heater’s installation manual handy.

Signs your tank plumbing needs work

Tank systems give plenty of warning before they stop. Call a plumber when:

• the pump starts and stops every few seconds while a tap is running, or kicks in at night with nothing turned on
• pressure drops sharply when two taps run at once
• a toilet stops refilling when the tank is low and the mains switch should have taken over
• the overflow pours down the side of the tank or washes out the ground beside it
• water from a tank-fed tap looks cloudy or smells after heavy rain
• the pump hums but moves no water, which often means it has lost its prime

A pump that runs with nothing turned on usually points to a leak somewhere on the pressure side. If the water is visibly escaping from a split pipe, the burst pipes page covers what to do first.

Which rules apply to tank plumbing?

The Building and Plumbing Commission explains on its page about the 2025 plumbing standards that the 2025 edition of the AS/NZS 3500 series replaced the 2021 edition, and that plumbing work started on or after 20 October 2025 must comply with the 2025 version. Its water services part, AS/NZS 3500.1, covers rainwater storage tanks, pumps and treated greywater systems, among other things. Work with a total value above the set value needs a compliance certificate from a licensed plumber.

Who manages which water also matters. Gippsland Water’s who does what page says town water and sewerage issues go to Gippsland Water, while Southern Rural Water authorises and regulates taking water from waterways, dams and bores for domestic and stock use. A tank filled from your own roof is neither, but if you plan to top it up from a dam or bore, check with Southern Rural Water first.

Is tank water safe to drink?

The Victorian Department of Health’s booklet Your private drinking water supply says the department recommends mains water for drinking and food preparation where it is provided. Where it is not, the booklet’s advice for rainwater includes:

• keep the drinking water plumbing completely separate from other pipe systems on the property, seal all joints, and use a licensed plumber
• seal, screen and cover the tank against insects, animals, birds and sunlight
• fit screens between the roof and the tank, and consider gutter or leaf guards
• fit a first flush or other diversion system, because the first rain after a dry spell washes most of the dirt off the roof
• check the tank bottom for sludge every two to three years and remove it if it has built up

A plumber can fit the diverter, screens and filters, and route first flush water to a separate tank for garden use. Water testing and treatment choices are worth discussing with them at the quote stage.

What does a careful plumber check before connecting a tank?

Good tank work starts with the site, not the pump catalogue. Expect a plumber to:

• ask what the tank should supply, and confirm the tank and pipe materials suit drinking water if any tap will be used for drinking
• check the tank base is level and firm enough for the full weight of water
• look at where the downpipes come in and whether a first flush diverter will fit
• size the pump to the fixtures it must run, and find a spot for it that is protected from weather and frost
• plan the mains switching so the tank and town supplies stay apart
• work out where the overflow will discharge and whether it joins the stormwater system

A careful plumber will not join a tank-fed line straight onto a town water pipe, will explain how the two supplies are kept apart, and may refuse to reuse a pump with no make or model they can trace.

How is a tank usually plumbed in?

For a tank feeding toilets and the laundry in a Traralgon house on town water, the work tends to run like this:

1. Confirm the tank position, size and downpipe connections.
2. Fit leaf screens and a first flush diverter on the inlet.
3. Set the pump on a base near the tank, with power arranged by an electrician where a new outlet is needed.
4. Run the supply line from the pump to the house and connect it to the fixtures being fed.
5. Install the switching device so those fixtures fall back to mains when the tank is low.
6. Connect the overflow to the stormwater drain or another approved discharge point.
7. Test the system, check for leaks and issue a compliance certificate if the job needs one.

Overflow is stormwater, so a tank that spills across a yard or against a footing is a drainage problem. That side of the job is covered on the stormwater drainage page.

How much does tank plumbing cost?

There is no price band on this site for a full tank installation, because the cost depends mostly on the tank, pump and filters you choose. For the plumber’s time, The Quote Yard lists an hourly band of $90 to $148 per hour for the region, and a tank connection is mostly charged that way. Ask for the quote to list the products by make and model, the labour, any electrical work and whether a compliance certificate is included. If you want comparable prices, you can request a tank plumbing quote with the same details for each plumber.

Local conditions around Traralgon

Rain at the Bureau of Meteorology’s Latrobe Valley Airport station averages about 736 mm a year, and spring is the wettest part of the year, with the monthly mean peaking in November. January and February are the driest months on that record, which is when a tank that feeds the house is drawn down hardest and when mains switching earns its keep.

On rural blocks out past Tyers or Glengarry where a house depends on tank water, a second pump or a spare pressure switch on the shelf is worth discussing with the plumber. In bushfire season, Victorian Government advice published by Gippsland Water reminds tank users to reduce the risk of contamination by disconnecting the downpipe and covering the tank, if it is safe to do so. A plumber can fit a downpipe that is quick to disconnect.

Next step

Tell the plumber the tank size and what it is made of (poly, steel or concrete), what you want it to supply (toilets, laundry, garden or the whole house), and whether the house is also on town water. Mention any pump already fitted, with its brand. Add photos of the tank, the downpipes feeding it and the wall of the house it will connect to, then send a rainwater tank enquiry.

Send a job enquiry